Grippes



W. H. OAR R. GRIPPBR FOR GABLES.

No. 553,898. I Patented Feb. 4, 1896. H i k??? A. E: 5 4.2211 751- :s tx E (No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

AN DREW EGRMIAM. PHUIO-UTHQWASHINGTON. D C,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets'Sheet 2. W. H. CARR. I

GRIPPER FOR GABLES.

NQ.. H5 3,898. Patenized Feb. 4,1896.

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501%765 see ANDREW E.GRAHAM.PHUTO-UTHQWASHINGTOMQC.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. H. CARR.

GRIPPER FOB GABLES.

No. 553,898. v Patented Feb. 4, 1896.

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UNTTED STATES PAT NT CFFICE.

\VARREN H. CARR, OF BATH, MAINE, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO \V. W. PENDEXTER, CHARLES R. DONNELL, AND A. H. SHAW, OF SAME PLACE.

GRIPPER FOR CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,898, dated February 4, 1896.

Application filed July 13, 1895. Serial No. 565,846. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VARREN II. CARR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bath, in the county of Sagadahoc and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grippers for Cables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in grippers for railway-ears hauled by a running rope or cable. In traction-railway systems of this character it frequently occurs that the ropes or cables cross or intersect with one another at street-crossings, and in some of the haulage systems now in use the gripman of one line is compelled to start the car, quickly release the grip when he approaches the crosscable, and then again operate his grip to pick up the cable, the car running by gravity or its acquired momentum over the cross-cable. As is well known, persons are frequently injured by cars which are run by momentum 0r gravity at the crossings, due to the fact that crossings are sometimes crowded and the reluctance or inability of the gripman to stop the momentum of the car until it reaches a point where the grip can again pick up the cable.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a gripping mechanism which will be automatically released from its cable as the car approaches a cross-cable and which will again pick up its proper cable after runhing over the crossing, all of which operations are effected without attention on the part of the gripman, who is thus able to give his attention to running the car, thereby lessening the liability of accidents at a crossing.

A further ob ect that I have in view is to provide an improved gripping mechanism which will act positively and with certainty,

and which will be simple and durable in con struction, as well as capable of ready renewal of worn parts.

A further object of the. invention is to so construct the jaws of the gripper that the broken strands from a worn cable will not catch in the jaws and carry the car onward in its course beyond the control of the gripman, but on the contrary the gripper-jaws can be quickly released, by devices under the control of the gripman, from the cable, so that the car can be brought to a standstill.

To the accomplishment of these ends the first part of my invention consists in the combination, with a pendent hanger carried by the car, of a verticallymovable head fitted to slide upon the hanger, a pair of gripping-jaws pivotally mounted on the head and movable vertically therewith, a lockingdetent normally in the path of the vertically-movable head to hold the latter in its proper lowered position so that the jaws may grip the rope or cable, and releasing devices operated by a trip when near the cross-cable to unlock the detent and permit the head and jaws to rise vertically and to pass or ride over the crosscable.

My invention further consists in a pair of vertical gripper-jaws pivoted by horizontal bolts and adapted to move horizontally toward or from each other, a tension device which operates to separate the jaws, and a pull rope or cable connected to one j aw, passing through an aperture in the other jaw, and connected at its upper end to a horizontal rock-shaft carried by the car and operated by a vertical shaft under the control of the gripman and the invention further consists in the novel combination of devices and in the peculiar construct-ion and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my gripping mechanism, showing the position of the devices as the grip approaches a cross-cable. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the gripper as it rides or passes over the cross-cable. Fig. 3 is an elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, looking'at the edge of the gripper mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the dotted line 00 a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the gripper-jaws. Fig. 6 is a detail viewof the toe-piece and releasing-rod. Fig.

'7 is a detail view of the releasing-dog, and i one end of a pliable rope or cable M", which Fig. 8 is a like view of the lockingdetent.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which A designates the hanger, which is suitably fastened to a traction-railway car, (indicated at 13,) which hanger depends a suitable distance below the car and passes through the slot 0 in a conduit C, in which travels a running rope or cable D. At right angles to this conduit C runs another conduit, (indicated at E in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings,)

and a cross-cable F is supported and arranged within said conduit E, the cross-cable being adapted to travel above and over the cable D in the conduit C.

The conduits, tracks, cables, and the cablesupporting contrivanees may be of any construction familiar to those skilled in this art.

The hanger A is provided in its opposite edges with vertical parallel grooves or ways a, and in these ways are fitted the guide-bars G G of the cross-head II, the latter being made quite heavy and arranged below the hanger A. The guide-bars G are rigidly fastened to the cross-head in any suitable way, and they are fitted to slide freely in the ways a of the hanger, whereby the bars and crosshead are adapted to move together, and said bars hold the cross-head in proper position on the hanger when the grip is moving vertically in order to pass over the cross-cable F. At its lower end the cross-head is provided with two pairs of ears g g and 7t h, and in these cars are pivoted the jaws I J of the gripper. These jaws are arranged in vertical positions parallel to each other, and at their lower ends the jaws have grooves or channels 1' 2' formed in their opposing faces to accommodate the cable D. At their upper ends the jaws have the earsjj andjj, respectively, and through one pair of said ears is passed a horizontal pivotal bolt K, while through the other pair of said ears is passed the other pivotal bolt K, whereby the jaws are hung on the crosshead II independently of each other. These horizontally-pivoted jaws are adapted to swing laterally with respect to each other, and when the vertical shaft is operated by the gripman to release the grip the jaws are forced apart to release the cable by the pressure-spring L, one embodiment of which is shown in Fig. i as consisting of a leaf-spring, which has one end fasten ed to the jaw J, while its free end is arranged to bear against the opposite jaw I.

The jaws are closed to pick up the cable and firmly grip the same by the following mechanism: Suitably j ournaled at the end of the car is a vertical operating-shaft M, provided at its upper end with an operating handwhcel m, and the lower end of this shaft is geared, through the intermeshing bevel-gears m, to one end of a horizontal shaft M, the latter being journaled longitudinally beneath the car, as shown. To this shaft M is fastened i toe-piece.

passes down through openings in the hanger A and cross-head II, and the lower end of this pull rope or cable passes around a guidesheave m j ournaled in an opening in the jaw I, the opposite end of the pull-rope passing through this opening and being attached to the jaw J in a secure manner. \Vhen the shaft M is operated by the gripman, the shaft )1 is rotated to wind the pull-rope M thereon and to draw the jaws I J tightly together, and thereby firmly grip the cable D; but when the shaft M is operated to unwind the pullrope from the shaft M the spring L presses the jaws apart to release the gripper from the cable D, as will be readily understood.

One of the jaws of the gripper is provided with a foot n, which is preferably of curved or arc-shaped form and projects from the front edge of the jaw in the direction of the length of the cable, and on this curved foot is pivoted the toe-piece N, which is also of curved form and, in its normal lowered position, lies substantially parallel to the foot n by which it is carried. The heel of this toepieee is pivoted on the pin at and the lifting movement of said toe-piece is limited by means of stop-pin n on the foot 01, which stop-pin is fitted in a segmental slot n in the The free end of this toe-piece projects beyond the outer extremity of the curved foot 12, and to it is pivoted the lower end of the lifting-rod O, the upper part of which is curved, as shown.

On the hanger A are mounted a verticallylnovable releasing-dog P and a pivoted swinging lockin g-detent Q, which are provided with coaeting inclines or cams, whereby the dog is adapted, on the upward movement of the lifting-rod and the toe-piece, to throw the locking-detent out of the path of the crosshead and thus permit the cross-head H and the gripper-jaws carried thereby to move upward a sufficient distance for the gripperjaws to ride over and above the cross-cable F. The locking-detent Q is east in a single piece of metal with a curved slotted lug q, an inclined cam q, and a shoulder "1 above the cam 11. The upper end of this detent is pivoted to the hanger A, as at 4", and in its slotted lug (1 plays a stop-pin 1', which is fixed to the hanger and operates to limit the throw or movement of the locking-detent. This detent is normally held so thatits abrupt shoulder 1' is in the path of the upper end of one of the guide-bars G of the cross-head by means of the pressure-spring R, which is fastened to the hanger and has its free end arranged to press against the lug q of the detent.

The releasing-dog P is cast in rightangled form, its vertical branch being provided with a longitudinal slot 1) and the inclined or camshaped surface s at one edge thereof, while the horizontal branch of the dog P is adapted to ride against one of the guide-bars G, and has a guide-loop t extending beyond the edge of the guide-bars G. This releasing-dog? is connected to the hanger A in a manner to permit it to have a limited vertical movement when the lifting-rod O is engaged therewith and said rod is lifted by the toe-piece, and the dog is therefore arranged to fit snugly against the hanger A and the guidebar G, and is held in place by a plate I? and a screw or bolt 25, the latter passing through the plate and the vertical slot 19 in said dog.

The lifting-rod 0 passes through the looped guidet of the releasing'dog P, and it has a shoulder 0, which is fitted against the lower edge of the dog, so that as the rod 0 is lifted its shoulder 0 will in turn raise the dog P a limited distance on the cross-head, so that the incline or cam s of the dog rides against the cam q of the locking-detent, whereby the upward movement of the dog acts to move or turn the detent sufficiently to throw the abrupt shoulder r of the detent out of the path of'the upper end of the guide-bar G on the cross-head, and thus the cross-head and the gripper-jaws are free to rise vertically a sufficient distance for the gripper-j aws to ride over the cross-cable F.

A guide and stop T is fixed to the hanger A and arranged between the curved edge of the lifting-bar and the guide-bar G of the cross-head to prevent the lifting bar or rod from approaching too closely to the guide-bar G, and when the lifting-bar has reached its upward limit its curved edge rides against the guide to throw its shoulder 0 out of engagement with the dog P, thus permitting the latter to return with the gripper-jaws and cross-head to their normal lowered positions.

The gripper is raised or lifted automatically as it approaches the cross-cable, and is held in its elevated position while passing over the cross-cable by means of the rollers U, V, and IV, which are arranged in the path of the foot n and toe-piece N. The rollers U V are disposed on one side of the cross-cable F, while the roller IV is arranged on the other side of the cross-cable, and the roller .U is arranged slightly below the horizontal plane of the axis of the roller V, while the shafts of the rollers V IV are arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane. The rollers U V have their shafts supported in a common bracket to, and the other roller W has its shaft fixed to a separate bracket w, both of said brackets being suitably held in the bottom of the conduit 0, and the brackets being spaced apart sufficient for the grip on cable F to pass between the two brackets.

This being the construction of my automatic releasing-gripper for cable traction railways the operation is as follows: To apply the gripper-jaws tightly to the cable D, the gripman turns the hand-wheel m to rotate the shafts M M and coil the cable or rope M on the shaft M, thus drawing on the rope M to close the jaws upon the cable. To release the gripper from the cable, the hand-wheel m is turned in the opposite direction and unwinds the cable or rope M from the shaft M, thus permitting the spring L to force the jaws apart, whereupon the cable D passes idly between the jaws. When the gripper approaches a street-crossing or the point where one cable F crosses above the cable to which the gripper is connected, the toe-piece N rides upon the roller U, thus lifting the rod 0 and with it the dog P, the incline or cam of which throws or turns the detent Q to swing laterally, so its shoulder a" is out of the path of the guide-bar G of the cross-head, and immediately after the detent is released from said guide-bar of the cross-head the curved footn rides upon the rollers U V, whereby the gripper-jaws and cross-head are lifted by the rollers U V. It will be borne in mind that the gripper-jaws are held closed upon the cable D by the strain or tension of the rope M between the jaws and the rock-shaft M, and as the gripper and cross-head are lifted by the rollers U V this tension of the rope M is slackened, thereby permitting the spring L to open the jaws as the gripper is lifted by the roller, whereby the jaws are automatically released from and drop the cable D as the gripper passes over the cross-cable F. The

gripper is held in its raised position by the curved foot n riding upon the rollers V W. As the gripper passes over the cable F and after the gripper passes the roller W the weight of the heavy cross-head H causes the when the heavy cross-head and the jaws had.

passed the roller W and descended to their normal lowered positions the spring R pressed the detent so its shoulder was again in the path of the bar G on the cross-head, thereby locking the latter against vertical movement, and thus the detent, the releasing-dog, the rod 0, and the toe-piece were returned to their normal positions when the gripper again engaged with the cable D after having passed the cross-cable.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction of the devices herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as fairly fall within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a pendent hanger, and a rock-shaft carried by a car, of a vertically-movable cross-head slidably fitted on the hanger, a pair of gripper-jaws, one of which slotted, pivoted to the cross-head to move laterally with respect to each other and adapted to be forced apart by a suitable spring, a pull-cable passing through the slot in one jaw and attached at its ends to the other jaw and to the rock-shaft, a lockingdetent to normally hold the cross-head and its attached jaws from sliding vertically on the hanger, and means for throwing the detent out of engagement with the cross-head, substantially as described. for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination witha pendent hanger, a vertically-slidable crosshead, and gripperjaws carried by said cross-head, of a laterallyniovable spring-controlled detent normally engaging with the cross-head to restrain it from vertical play, a lifting toe-piece carried on one of the jaws, a lifting-rod pivoted to the toe-piece, and means, substantially such as described, actuated by the lifting-rod to deflect the detent out of the path of the crosshead, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with a cross head mounted for vertical movement, of jaws mounted on said cross-head by parallel pivots which extend in the direction of the length of the jaws to enable the latter to move laterally with respect to each other, a pull-cable under control of the gripman and connected to said jaws to close the same upon a haulage-cable, a locking mechanism, releasing devices engaging with such locking mechanism, and lifting-trippers in the path of the gripper-jaws to raise the cross-head and jaws above the line of a cross-cable, whereby as the gripper is raised by the t-ripper the pull on the rope or cable is slackened and the jaws released from the haulage-cable, substantially as and for the purposes described.

it. The combination with a hanger, and a cross-head, of a pair of pivoted gripper-jaws, one of which is slotted, a rock-shaft, a spring interposed between said jaws and tending to normally force them apart laterally with respect to each other, and a pull-cable passing through the slotted jaw and having its ends attached to the other gripper-jaw and to the roekshaft, as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination with a hanger,of a crosshead guided on the hanger, a locking-detent mounted on the hanger and normally held in the path of the cross-head, a movable dog arranged to bear against the detent and defleet the same out of the path of the crosshead, gripper-jaws carried by the cross-head a lifting-toe, and connections between the toe and the movable dog to operate the latter,

for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a hanger, of a vertically-movable cross-head slidably mounted on the hanger, a pivoted locking-detent on the hanger normally on the path of the crosshead and provided with a cam, a verticallyslidable dog carried by the hanger and having a cam to impinge against the lockingdetent, a lifting-rod engaging with said dog, gripper-jaws carried by the cross-head, a toepieee pivoted on the jaw and to the liftingrod, and trippers in the path of the toe-piece and the jaws, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a hanger having the guideways, a cross-head provided with guidebars fitted to the ways on the hanger, grippei jaws pivoted on the cross-head and one of said jaws having the lifting-foot, a pivoted toepieee on the lifting-foot, a rod connected to said toe-piece, a movable camfaced dog operated by said rod, and a shouldered detent on the hanger in the path of the guide-bar on the cross-head and having a cam-face in the path of the cam-face on the dog, whereby as the latter is raised by the red the two camsurfaces of the dog and detent are brought into play to throw the detent out of the path of the guide-bar on the erosshead, for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with a cross-head, of the pivoted jaws mounted thereon to swing laterally with respect to each other, a pulleable passing through one jaw and connected to the other jaw, a spring to force the jaws apart when the tension is slaekened on the pull-cable, a longitudinal shaft carried beneath the car, to which shaft the pullcab]e is fastened, and a vertical shaft geared to said longitudinal shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. The combination with a cross-head, of gripperjaws carried thereby and one j aw provided with a lifting-foot, a locking mechanism and releasing devices therefor, the tripping-rollers U, V, situated in the path of the lifting-foot on one side of a cross-cable, and a roller XV on the opposite side of the crosseable, the rollers V, \V, being arranged to lift the gripper above the cross-cable and to sustain the same in its raised position while passing over said eable,for the purposes described, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VARREN II. CARR.

Witnesses:

JAS. B. DRAKE, l). M. IIUMPHREY. 

